Typewriter eraser



Gm 3Q 1934- J. G. ZIEGLER z-:T AL 1,978,778

TYPEWRITER ERASER Filed 0G13. 6, 1955 Patented Oct. 30, 1934 PATEN'I OFFICE TYPEWRITER ERASERl John George Ziegler and Agda W. Carlson,

Rawlins, Wyo.

Application October 6,

9 anims This invention relates' to an improved type- Writereraser and more particularly to certain renements in the device shown in Patent No. 1,788,658, issued to vChris C. Carlson January 13,

- 'Irhelinvention seeks, especially, to provide a device `embodying a rotary abrading element wherein only one hand of the operator will be required tofhold the device in proper position for Y1C' making an erasure and at the same time permit rotation of thel abrading element to effect the erasure. l

The invention` seeks, as a further object, toprovide a 'devicefembodying a gear for rotating the abrading element and whereinl thel gear will be conveniently exposed, for engagement by the thumb of the hand for turning Vthe gear and, consequently," rotating said'element.

And the invention seeks, as a still further ob- .20.- ject,to provide' adevi'ce wherein theabrading element maybe conveniently renewed.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter `fullydescribed and claimed, it being understood that various modications may be resorted to-withinthe scope of the appended claims withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device, approximately actual size,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation, one side wall of the casing -beingremovei Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view'on the line 3-7-3 'Gl:`Fg.2,l M

EFig. 4 is a vertical sectional View on theline 1;4 of Eig;V 2,

1 Fig.` `5 isa transverse 5]-,-5 of Fig. 2. '1 In carrying the invention into eifect, we employ an oblong casingpreferably of bakelite, al` though metal or other suitable material maybe employed-and, as best seen in Figs."2 and 5 of the drawing',d this casing includes a side wall 10, lateralfwalls 1-1 and 12, an end wall 13 and an opposite side wall 14, the walls 11, 12 and13 being integral with the side wall l0. The casing visopen at its forward end and, as will be ob- `served, the end wall 13 at the rear end of the easingf'is" somewhat thicker than the walls. `11 and '12 and is cut away to provide a recess 15 adaptedyto receive a finger while opposite the recess, `said wall is 4flanged at its inner side to provideupstanding stops 15 defining a socket 16.

sectional View on the line 1933,.-Se1ial N0. 692,540' (Cl. 1Z0-$6) or web 17 extending in spaced parallel relation to the wall 11 and likewise integral with the wall 10 is a more or less triangular shaped web 18 the lower edge of which constitutes a stop or abutment. These webs cooperate with the walls 11 and 12 to dei-lne a pair of guide slots 19. As best seen-in.Fig. 2, the wall 11 is notched to provide anio'pening 20 at the adjacent edge of the casing while, as shown in Fig. 1, the side wall 14 is provided with a lateral flange 2l to snugly iit in said notch.` Opposite the opening 20, the wall 12 is preferably serrated, as indicated at 22.

`Fixed to the wall 10, as best seen in Fig. 5, is a stud 23 located medially of the casing, near the open end thereof, and suitably fixed to said wall, medially with respect to the opening 20, as best seen-in Fig. 4, is a like stud 24. Engaged in the free ends of said studs are screws 25 removably securing the side wall 14 in position.

Removably mounted upon the stud 23 is an abrasive unit including a hub sleeve 26 and pressed over one end of said sleeve is a gear 27 tightly engaged with the sleeve. Snugly but removably surrounding the sleeve is a circular abrasive element 28 which abuts the gear 27 and screwed over the free end of the sleeve is a preferably split circular nut 29 clamping the element 28 between said nut and the gear 27. The abrasive element 28 is of rubber of the character usually employed for circular typewriter erasers and will be tightly held between the gear 27 and nut 29 to turn with the sleeve.A When, however, said element becomes worn, the nut may be readily removed and a new element substituted therefor. The nut 29 is preferably resilient and by splitting the nut, it is permitted to grip the threads at the free ends of the sleeve so that the nut is thus frictionally held against loosening. At its outer circumference, the nut is preferably milled to facilitate the manual removal thereof.

Removably fitting on the stud 24 is a compound gear unit including a hub sleeve 30 and pressed over the ends of said sleeve to tightly engage therewith are gears 31 and 32 of like diameter. The gear 3l meshes with the gear 27. The gear 32, however, is an idler gear. Both gears project through the opening 20 of the casing and two gears are employed so that the peripheries thereof may be conveniently engaged by the thumb of the operator for turning the gear unit and, consequently, rotating the abrasive element 28. The teeth at the peripheries of the gears will afford adequate purchase for the thumb of the operator and, by using two gears, possibility `of injury or discomfort, incident to turning the gear unit, will be avoided.

Slidable in the casing is a shield including a front cross bar 33, side bars 34 and 35 and a rear cross bar 36. The shield is preferably formed of a strip of suitable resilient sheet metal bent to proper shape, and, as shown in Fig. 2, the overlapping ends of said strip provide the cross bar 36. Extending through said ends is a stud 37 securing the ends together. The side bars 34 and 35 of the shield are slidably received in the guide slots 19 of the casing, the side bar 34 being cut away at opposite edges thereof, as seen in Fig. 3, and provided with a reduced neck 38 which is freely accommodated between the gears 31 and 32 of the gear unit. The end bar 32 of the shield is formed with a bowed portion or saddle 39 adapted to nt the circumference of an ordinary typewriter platen and extending longitudinally of said saddle is a slot 40 adapted to freely accommodate the abrasive element 28 therethrough. Fitting at one `end inthe socket 16 and engaging at its opposite end over the stud 37 is a spring 41 projectingY the shield forwardly. Forward ymovemen of the shield is limited by the engagement of thecross bar 36 thereof with the stop formed by the rear end of the web 18 while inward or rearward movement of the shield will be limited by the engagement of thev cross bar 33k with the stops In use, the edges of the casing are grasped between the thumb and fingers, the index finger preferably resting in the recess 15 of the end wall 13 of the casing. The saddle is then placed against the paper on the typewriter platen'and the slot 40 positioned over the letter to be erased.

rBy then pressing forwardly on the casing, the

shield is moved inwardly until the abrasive element 23 isbrcught into engagement with the 1= paper when, by rotating the gears 31 and 32 with the thumb, the abrasive element may be rotated for erasing the desired letter. We accordingly provide a device which may be operated with ease and facility and attention is directed to the fact that the portions of the cross bar 33 of the shield at Opposite sides ofthe slot 40 will protect letters of a word, for instance, at opposite sides of the letter which it is desired to erase so that smudging will be obviated. Furthermore, as will be seen, the side wall 14 of the casing may be readily removed, when the parts may be readily lifted out for renewing the abrasive element in the manner previously described.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. 'An eraser including a casing, a rotatable abrading element projecting from the casing, means for rotating said element including spaced gears having portions thereof projecting from the casing and adapted to be manually engaged for turning the gears and rotating said element, and a yieldably supported shield slidably mounted in the casing between said gears and having one end thereof extended over the abrading element and provided with a slot adapted to receive said element.

casing between said spaced gears and having its outer end extended over the abrading element and slotted to receive said element.

3. An eraser including a casing,`a.rotatable gear, an abrading element mounted to turn with said gear and projecting from the casing, a sleeve, spaced gears fixed to said sleeve, one of which meshes with said first-mentioned gear, and means journaling the sleeve, said spaced gears being exposed externally of the casing and a reciprocating shield yieldably supported in the casing and having a reduced portion slidably mounted between the spaced gears and its outer end extending over the abrading element and provided with a slot adapted to receive said element.

4. An eraser including a casing having spaced walls, webs within the casing and cooperating with said walls to define guide slots, a rotatable abrading element exposed at one end of the casing, means for rotating said element including spaced gears exposed at an edge of the casing and adapted to be manually engaged for turning said gears and rotating said element, a shield having side bars slidable in said slots and provided ,with a reduced portion fitted-between said spaced gea-rs, and yieldable means normally holding ,the shield projected at said end of the casing, the shield being depressible over the exposed portion of said element.

f 5. kAn eraser including a casing, a rotating abrading element projecting from the casing, means for rotating said element including a gear havingj a portion thereof exposed atthe exterior of the casing, a reciprocating shield slidably mounted in the casing and movable across said gear, spaced stops on the bottom of the casing defining a socket, a spring seated in the socket and bearing against the lower end of the shield, and a stop disposed within the casing and coacting with the lower end of the shield for limiting the outward movement of said shield.

-6. An eraser including a casing, a rotating abrading element projecting from the casing, means for -rotating said element includinga gear having a portion thereof exposed at the exterior of the casing, a reciprocating shield slidably mounted withinr the casing and movable across one side of the gear, the upper end of the shield extending over the-abrading element and having a 4slot therein to receive saidelement, spaced stops on the bottom of the casing for limiting the inward movement of the shield and defining a socket, a stop spaced from the first-mentioned stops for limiting the outward movement `of the shield, and a spring tted in the socket and bearing against the shield for normallyholding the lower end of the shield in engagement with the last-mentioned stop. s A

7. An eraser including a casing,v a rotatable abrading element projecting from the casing, a gear carried by said abrading element, spaced gears, one of which meshes with the gear on the abrading element, said spaced gears having a portion of their peripheral edges normally exposed at the exterior of the casing, a recipro cating shield slidably mounted in the casing and having one side thereof provided with areduced portion fitting between the spaced gears and its outer end extending over the abrading element and slotted to receive the same, stops secured to the bottom of the casing for limiting the inward movement of the shield, said stops defining an intermediate socket, a stop spaced from the firstmentioned stops for limiting the outward movement of the shield, and a spring seated in the socket and bearing against the lower end of the shield for normally and yieldably holding the bottom of the shield in engagement with the last-mentioned stop.l

8. An eraser including a casing, an abrading element projecting from the casing, a gear carried by the abrading element, spaced gears, one of which meshes with the gear on the abrading element, said spaced gears having a portion of their peripheral edges normally projecting beyond the casing, a yieldably supported substantially rectangular shield slidably mounted within the casing and having one of its side walls cut away to provide a reduced portion tting between the spaced gears and its upper end slotted to accommodate the abrading element, means for limiting the inward sliding movement of the shield, and other means for limiting the outward sliding movement of said shield.

9. An eraser including a casing', an abrading element rotatably mounted in said casing and projecting from an end thereof, an actuating element rotatably mounted in said casing and having a driving disk and also having a nger engaging disk projecting through a side wall of the casing, means for transmitting rotary motion from the driving disk to the abrading element when the actuating element is rotated, and a yieldably supported shield slidably mounted in said casing and having a portion extending between the disks of the actuating element, the shield having its outer portion extending over the abrading element and formed with a slot to permit passage of the abrading element through the shield when the shield is forced inwardly.

JOHN GEORGE ZIEGLER. [1.. s.] AGDA W. CARLSON. [1.. s l 

